God’s Final Word: His Son
(What it means for the Body of Christ)
God’s Final Word: His Son, is the heading on the first book of Hebrews in NIV Quest Study Bible. The book starts on this note:
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” (Hebrews 1 :1–3).
Reading these opening verses of the book of Hebrews, I was struck by the absoluteness of the authority and powers conferred on the Son by God, the Father — the Son being the source and sustainer of the universe. He is the heir of all things; the universe is made through him, and he is the radiance (true reflections) of God, the Father. All things in heaven and on earth are sustained by the word of the Son. In other words, the Son is the “be-all” and “end-all” of things in heaven and on earth.
Take that with John 1: 1–4:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning . Through him all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”
The two scripture passages above refer to no other, but the Lord, Jesus Christ whose body on earth we are, as believers. Think about what that means for the Church of Christ, “in these last days.”
Thinking through the implications of these Scriptures for the body of Christ with regard to the position of Jesus in creation, and for sustaining creation now and in eternity, I asked: “Are we sure we are doing things right?” Do we accord Christ his rightful place in our lives and meetings as Christ’s body? Are we sure we are not doing some things that are inconsistent with the pre-eminent position of Christ in light of these Scriptures? Here we go:
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways.”
God’s channel of communicating with men in the past were the prophets — some commentators say they were seventeen in number. Fact is they were more than seventeen. Who is a prophet? Scripture shows us:
God’s original intention was to speak to His people directly. But the people were terrified by His Holy presence accompanied by fire and lightning. They begged Moses to stand in between them and God, promising to do whatever God commands them to do. The word ‘prophet’ surfaced later when God was laying out some details regarding His relationship with the Israelites:
“The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me (Moses speaking) from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore or we will die.” (Deuteronomy 18:14–16).
17. The LORD said to me: “What they said is good. 18.“I will raise up for them a prophet like you (a prophet like Moses) from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.” 20. “But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”
Another reason God would raise a prophet, as shown above, is the practice of sorcery and divination by peoples in the ancient world, including those inhabiting the promised land. It was the way the ancient tribes heard from their gods. But the LORD does not want His people to go the way of the Canaanites. Sorcery and divination connect people with other gods.
Also remarkable is the fact that God promised to raise for His covenant people ‘“a prophet” in the singular, not “prophets” in the plural. This can be interpreted as having double meanings — one, a prophet to serve their immediate need of guidance from God on settling down in the promised land, and ultimately “a prophet” that would bring about the ultimate revelation of God’s will to His people. Hence, whereas there would be many prophets of God in the Old Testament, they were mere shadows of the one prophet Israel was looking forward to — a prophet who would not only reveal the will of God, but will lead the people to salvation.
Here is what the apostle Peter said about the long awaited prophet. After healing a lame man in the Temple, Peter seized the opportunity to proclaim the good news about Jesus. He affirmed to the crowd that in Jesus God has kept His promise of a future prophet:
“Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah will suffer. Repent then and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah who has been appointed for you — even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.” (Acts 3:17–23).
Back to Hebrew 1: 1b “But in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son,”
Let’s take special note of that scripture. He has spoken — past participle tense. He has said all that needed to be said; he said it all on the cross of cavalry. He has taken care of the past, the present and the future. (Hebrew 13:8).
God spoke to the Isrealites in Egypt through Moses. Moses was God’s spokesperson — the intermediary between God and the Israelites. God spoke to the people throughout their wilderness experience through “Prophets” Moses and Joshua; Moses was instrumental in the giving of the Ten Commandments, and in building the Tabernacle. The Temple worship was established on the same principle of mediation using the priests and the High priest. The same principle was in place throughout the Old Testament as God mediated through priests and spoke through the prophets.
The book of Hebrews was written to a group of Jewish Christians who were suffering for their faith. Because of this, many were contemplating returning to Judaism, and even abandoning their faith in Jesus altogether. To encourage them to stay course, the author shows how Jesus not only fulfilled their expectation, but surpassed them.
First, he shows how Jesus is “our great highpriest” (Hebrew 4:14). One of the high priest’s primary duties was to offer “sacrifices for sins” (5:1). The problem with sacrifices in the Old Testament was that they were never permanent. They had to be offered year after year. (10:1). These sacrifices pointed forward to what would be a final and much greater sacrifice. Jesus offered his own flesh and blood, as a sacrifice that would be good for all time. (10:10–12).
Second, Jesus fulfilled the role of the priest by making prayers and petitions for the people. Unlike earthly priests, Jesus has complete access to God the Father. He “ascended into heaven” and sits at the right hand of the Father (4:14). Moreover, he understands perfectly our human weaknesses and can represent us to the Father as well. (4:15). He regularly prays for us as the perfect representative (7:15). Jesus is the fulfillment of everything the office of the hight priest and the prophets anticipated.
Once the Israelites were in the promised land God raised prophets who served as God’s mouthpiece. They received from God His words and passed them on to the Israelites. The prophets had no words of their own. Their messages were prefaced with “Thus says the Lord.”
Bible scholars divide Old Testament prophets into two: the major and the minor prophets: There are 4 or 5 major prophets, including Lamentation, and 12 minor prophets. Simply, they were messengers sent by God to warn and guide His people. To warn them about the dire consequences of disobeying the words of God, and to guide them in the path of righteousness.
The books of the prophets contain constant warnings and condemnation of either God’s people going astray or what will happen to those who choose to reject God. There is also valuable truth to be gleaned from each of the prophets. For example we can read of Christ’s birth being foretold in Micah and Isaiah. We can read how Christ will return in the books of Zechariah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
Some prophecies called for immediate actions from the people, while others predict future events with far-reaching ramifications for the nation of Israel and the world. There are many prophecies regarding the Jewish nation, its founder Abraham, (Genesis 12:1–3, 13:16, 15:5, 17:2, 4–6 etc.), his posterity; Isaac and Jacob and their descendants, which have all been fulfilled. There are also many prophecies regarding events which were to befall that people. Moreover, there is a large number of prophecies relating to those nations with whom the Jews came into contact; notably, Tyre, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nineveh, Babylon and the Philistines.
For the body of Christ “in these last days,” the relevance of the prophets and their prophecies, lies in their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The great body of Old Testament prophecy relates directly to the advent of the Messiah, beginning with Genesis 3:15.
Some scholars believe there are more than 300 prophecies about the Messiah — Jesus, the anointed one. Fifty-five of the prophecies covering four specific areas relate to:
Jesus’ birth, Jesus’ ministry, Jesus’ death and resurrection, and Jesus’ role in the church — all fulfilled in the New Testament:
Let’s take a look at four examples of prophecies and their fulfillments:
The Messiah Will be Born of a Virgin
Prophecy:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).
Fulfillment:
“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings to you who are highly favored! The LORD is with you.”Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greetings this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The LORD will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end…” (Luke 1: 26–33).
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” (Matthew 1:22–23).
The Messiah Will be Quiet Before His Accusers:
Prophecy:
“Those who want to kill me set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they scheme and lie. I am like the deaf, who cannot hear, like the mute, who cannot speak. (Psalm 38:12–13).
Fulfillment:
“When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, ‘Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you? But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge — to the great amazement of the governor” (Matthew 27:12–14)
The Messiah Will Resurrect From The Dead
Prophecy:
“For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one seecorruption.” (Psalm 16:10). “But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah” (Psalm 49:15).
Fulfillment
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs…this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed…God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death because it was impossible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him…For you will not abandon my soul to hades or let your holy one see corruption…”This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.” (Acts2:22–23).
Jesus Will Distribute Gifts to Men
Prophesy:
“When you ascended on high, you took many captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious — that you, Lord God, might dwell there.” (Psalm 68:18).
Fulfillment:
“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: “When he ascended on high He took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” “(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:9–13).
The advent of Jesus, fulfilling the law and the prophets, effectively put an end to the “office of the prophet,” serving as God’s mouthpiece to His people. It opens a new chapter with the gospel of Christ extending beyond the Jews, to the Gentiles and the end of the earth.
This is the essence of our opening Scripture, Hebrew 1. The era of the prophets worked for the Jews in the Old Testament. But for the church of the New Testament, God the Father has spoken. What has He said?
Visitation from the Heavens:
“About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Mose and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem…while he was speaking a cloud appeared and covered them and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen: listen to him.” “When the voice has spoken, they found that Jesus was alone.” (Luke 9:28–36).
By words and by symbolic appearance, the visitation from the heavens put paid to the era of the law and prophets making an announcement to the world of the One the world is to obey henceforth.
Moses and Elijah both representing the era of law and the prophet appeared with Jesus. The law and the prophets held sway until Christ’s crucifixion. Jesus obeyed every facet of the law during his ministry on earth. Now at the eve of his departure from the earth, God the Father spoke, and Moses, the law giver, with Prophet Elijah symbolically demonstrated to the world that the time of the law and prophets are over. The voice spoke: “This is my Son whom I have chosen: listen to him.”
When Peter, John and James opened their eyes, they found that Jesus was alone.
Question is, how do we listen to the One who was on his way out of the earth — One that was about to be crucified? Jesus had an answer to that question: He told his followers,
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever. — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15–17). “ WILL BE IN YOU!”
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (vv.25–26).
That is a radical departure from the past. And that is going to be difficult for humans to swallow. You don’t need any “prophet” to serve as a “go-between” you and God! Take it or leave it; That is the truth. It is going back to God’s original intention of dealing directly with His people. Now the Third of the God-head, the Holy Spirit, is in them, speaking to them one on one. Listen to Him!
In the place of one-man-ministry — the prophet or the priest — we now have a body-life-ministry under the leadership of the Holy Spirit working through apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor/teacher. Arising from that was the fellowship of Christians, communing with the Holy Spirit who is in every believer. He is the Spirit of truth who will “teach believers all things and remind them everything the Lord has said.” God the Father said, listen to him. If an individual or group is not hearing what the Holy Spirit is saying, it is because they are not listening to Him.
Ephesians 4:11–13 says this about how the church works:
“So Christ himself gave the apostle, the prophet, the evangelist, the pastor and teacher, to equip his people for work of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors/teachers representing the four-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit in the church, are to work together as a team in the body, to equip believers for work of service, attaining onto maturity that comes with growth in faith and knowledge of Christ.
The relationship between apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor/teacher in the early church, was such that a new word, “koinonia,” a commercial term, implying co-partnership was coined to describe the unity that existed in the body.
The church of Christ, birthed on the day of Pentecost, was built on the apostolic foundation — making disciples from among people-groups and cultures of the earth.The prophet, operating within the body, receives from God the Father, and prophesying on the direction the church should go, works closely with the apostle who as chairman of the council of four or five leads the way to a new mission field or church plant. The apostle goes out with the evangelist, taking the gospel to unbelieving sinners out there.
The pastor /teacher receives new converts — from the ministry of the evangelist for teaching and mentoring. The apostle also oversees the mentoring and the edification process of new converts across board. None of them is expected to work outside of the church/fellowship, independent of the others.
In the same vein, the worship service is not a one-man show. Let’s keep in mind, the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit is now in charge; He has distributed spiritual gifts to all believers (1 Corinthians 12:1–11). The giftings are not for self-serving or the pursuit of personal agenda, but for the body of believers to profit from.
The end goal is that “we will no longer be infants tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:9–16).
The bottomline? Believers in Christ will become mature and be protected from the cunning and craftiness of false preachers and teachers in their deceitful scheming, when each part of the body does its part.
We are all gifted to do our part.
